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Getting the 20th pick right will be Toronto’s priority at next month’s draft, but Masai Ujiri sees his second-round selections as valuable asset, too.

The Raptors also own the seventh pick of the second round (37th overall) from a prior trade with Sacramento (for James Johnson) and the second-last pick of the draft (59th) from the Andrea Bargnani heist with the Knicks (via Oklahoma City).

The Raptors previously placed little value on second-round selections, since the success rate on these is so low (Ujiri said if you hit on 20% of them, you are doing okay; 40%, well-above average), but Ujiri stated when he arrived that acquiring and developing young talent will be one of his keys.

“It takes them some time (he said of most second-rounders), it takes them a longer route and then you can get lucky. Sometimes it’s luck, a lot of the times, maybe we can get lucky, too.”

The front office and scouts have extensively scouted a large number of players, a year after being left out in the cold when the team had no draft picks. And they have a big target list instead of homing in on a few players, since it is easy to end up “heartbroken” when the guys you want go just ahead of your draft slot.

“We want to study 20 and figure out 20 (so that no matter what, someone the Raptors like will be available in the first round).”

Meanwhile, the seconds could be used to either draft someone or in a package to move up, or to acquire a player.

“They are valuable, depending on roster spots, trades, who is available, to move up, they are very valuable to us and I think this year we are taking them very serious,” Ujiri said.

“We’re going to look at all options.”

Regardless of where the picks are made, the team will not draft for need, instead opting for the best player available. The front office believes it will nab a good talent, even if it stays at 20.

Ujiri picked Kenneth Faried 22nd overall in 2011 and Evan Fournier No. 20 a year later. Faried has looked tremendous at times and Fournier has shown flashes. Chief lieutenant Jeff Weltman was a key part of the staff in Milwaukee that nabbed Larry Sanders 15th in 2010, John Henson 14th in 2012, Jodie Meeks 41st in 2009 and Tobias Harris (via a draft night trade) in 2011.

GOOD START CAME APART

The Thunder had the Spurs reeling a bit in the first quarter on Thursday. An 11-2 run in the first quarter, a 26-17 lead after a thunderous Westbrook dunk, a 32-26 edge after a Steven Adams jam. Then ... everything fell apart. The Adams dunk was OKC’s only field goal in the final 2:42 seconds of the first quarter, Patty Mills hit a three, Danny Green knocked down another and the teams went into the second quarter even. The Thunder should have had the momentum after clearly outplaying the Spurs early on, coming off of consecutive wins but, instead, San Antonio was allowed to hang around. After a two-minute brick-fest by both sides to start the second, the Spurs went on a 47-31 run and that was that.

San Antonio has now won its past seven playoff games at home by 15 points or more, the longest streak in NBA history (Utah in 1996 and the Lakers in 1985 had done it six straight times).

AROUND THE RIM

If you were a fan of the Seattle Supersonics, Microsoft titan Steve Ballmer’s purchase of the L.A. Clippers for $2 billion US is bad news. Ballmer and hedge fund manager Chris Hansen had been trying for years to move a team to Seattle. It nearly happened with the Sacramento Kings and they tried again with the Milwaukee Bucks, but came up short. Perhaps realizing it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, Ballmer opted to buy the Clippers instead ... New York Knicks boss Phil Jackson admitted Friday that he is “definitely concerned” that Carmelo Anthony could sign somewhere else in July. “If so, we will survive it,” Jackson added in a meeting with Knicks beat writers ... Pacers boss Larry Bird told Lance Stephenson to cool it with the antics before Friday’s Game 6. “He said, ‘Don’t do it again,’ so I’m not going to do it again,” Stephenson said ... Minnesota GM Milt Newton told the Associated Press the team is going slowly in its search to replace retired head coach Rick Adelman and has not yet had any trade discussions with other teams about Kevin Love, who is expected to opt-out next summer if he is not dealt .. New Orleans guard Anthony Morrow, one of the NBA’s premier outside shooters (45% from three last season), will opt out of his deal, according to Hoopshype. He will be in demand.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri hopes to get lucky with second-round picks

Getting the 20th pick right will be Toronto’s priority at next month’s draft, but Masai Ujiri sees his second-round selections as valuable asset, too.

The Raptors also own the seventh pick of the second round (37th overall) from a prior trade with Sacramento (for James Johnson) and the second-last pick of the draft (59th) from the Andrea Bargnani heist with the Knicks (via Oklahoma City).

The Raptors previously placed little value on second-round selections, since the success rate on these is so low (Ujiri said if you hit on 20% of them, you are doing okay; 40%, well-above average), but Ujiri stated when he arrived that acquiring and developing young talent will be one of his keys.

“It takes them some time (he said of most second-rounders), it takes them a longer route and then you can get lucky. Sometimes it’s luck, a lot of the times, maybe we can get lucky, too.”